A new study “proving” that a brisk walk is as good as or better than a regimen of structured exercise for losing weight has caused quite a dustup, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens.
The London School of Economics reported that a half hour of regular, brisk walking beats the gym if your aim is a smaller waistline. Their research found those individuals who engaged in walking at a good pace for a half hour or more had lower Body Mass Indexes and smaller waists than those who did other exercises such as going the gym or playing sports.
But those who moan at the thought of physical exertion should know that the research report “is slightly false,” according to one leading exercise expert. Mike Loosemore, a Lead Consultant Sports Physician for The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, told London’s Independent newspaper that “it is brisk and fast walking which is as good as the gym; it doesn’t mean a meandering walk through the countryside looking at flowers. A very brisk walk means almost short of breath.”
